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Duke. But hear

you,

Barnar. Not a word: if you have any thing to fay to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to

day.

[Exit:

SCENE IX.

Enter Provoft.

Duke. Unfit to live, of die : oh, gravel heart! After him, fellows: bring him to the block. *

[Exeunt Abhorfon and Clown. Prov. Now, Sir, how do you find the prifoner ? Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death; And, to tranfport him (2) in the mind he is, Were damnable.

Prov. Here in the prifon, father,

There dy'd this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a moft notorious pirate,
A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head,
Juft of his colour what if we omit
This reprobate, 'till he were well inclin'd;
And fatisfy the deputy with the visage
Of Ragazine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident, that heaven provides:
Dispatch it presently. The hour draws on
Prefixt by Angelo. See, this be done,

And fent according to command; while I
Perfuade this rude wretch willingly to die.

Prov. This fhall be done, good father, presently.
But Barnardine muft die this afternoon ;

And how shall we continue Claudio,

To fave me from the danger that might come,
If he were known alive?

Duke. Let this be done

;

Put them in fecret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio:

*Here is a line given to the Duke which belongs to the Provt. The Proveft, while the Duke is lamenting the obduracy of the prifoner, cries out, After him, fellows, &c. and, when they are gone out, turns again to the Duke.

(2) to transport him] To remove him from one world to another. The French trépas affords a kindred sense.

Ere

Ere twice the fun hath made his journal greeting
To th' under generation, (3) you fhall find
Your fafety manifested.

Prov. I am your free dependent.

Duke. Quick, difpatch, and fend the head to Angelo.

Now will I write letters to Angelo,

[Exit Provoft..

(The Provost, he shall bear them ;) whofe contents
Shall witness to him, I am near at home;

And that, by great injunctions, I am bound
To enter publickly; him I'll defire
To meet me at the confecrated fount,
A league below the city; and from thence,
By cold gradation and weal-balanc'd form,
We shall proceed with Angelo.

Enter Provoft.

Prov. Here is the head, I'll carry it myself. Duke. Convenient is it.. Make a fwift return; For I would commune with you of fuch things, That want no ears but yours.

Prov. I'll make all speed.

Tab. [within.] Peace, hoa, be here!
Duke. The tongue of Isabel.

know,

[Exit:

She comes to

If yet her brother's pardon be come hither:
But I will keep her ignorant of her good,
To make her heav'nly comforts of defpair,
When it is leaft expected. *

(3) To th' under generation,] So Sir The. Hanmer with true jud g-ment. It was in all the former editions to yonder : ye under and yon-der were confounded.

* A better reafon might have been given. It was neceffary to keep Isabella in ignorance, that she might with more keennels ac-cufe the Deputy.

SCENE

SCENE X.

Enter Ifabel.

Ifab. Hoa, by your leave.

Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.

Ifab. The better giv'n me by fo holy a man. Hath yet the deputy fent my brother's pardon? Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from the world; His head is off, and fent to Angelo.

Ifab. Nay, but it is not fo.

Duke. It is no other.

Shew your wifdom, daughter, in your clofeft patience.
Ifab. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes.
Duke. You fhall not be admitted to his fight.
Ijab. Unhappy Claudio! wretched Ifabel!
Injurious world! moft damned Angelo!

Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot;
Forbear it therefore, give your caufe to heav'n.
Mark, what I fay; which you fhall furely find
By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes; One of our convent, and his confeffor,

Gave me this inftance: already he hath carry'd

Notice to Escalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,

There to give up their pow'r. If you can, pace your wisdom

In that good path that I would wish it

go,

And you fhall have your bofom (4) on this wretch,
Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,

And gen'ral honour.

Ifab. I am directed by you.

Duke. This letter then to friar Peter give;

'Tis That he fent me of the Duke's return:

Say, by this token, I defire his company

At Mariana's houfe to night. Her cause and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he fhall bring you
Before the Duke, and to the head of Angelo

(4)

your bofom-] Your with; your heart's defire.

Accuse

Accuse him home, and home. For my poor felf,
I am combined (5) by a facred vow,

And shall be abfent. Wend you with this letter
Command these fretting waters from your eyes
With a light heart; truft not my holy Order,
If I pervert your courfe. Who's here?

[blocks in formation]

Friar, where's the Provoft ?

Duke. Not within, Sir.

;

Lucio. Oh, pretty fabella, I am pale at mine heart, to fee thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and fup with water and bran I dare not for my head fill my belly one fruitful meal would fet me to't. But they fay the Duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Ifabal, I lov'd thy brother: if the old (6) fantastical Duke of dark corners had been at home, he had liv'd. [Exit Ifabella. Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellously little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the Duke so well as I do; he's a better woodman, (7) than thou tak’st

him for.

Duke. Well; you'll answer this one day.

well.

Fare ye

Lucio Nay, tarry, I'll go along with thee: I can tell thee pretty tales of the Duke.

Duke. You have told me too many of him already, Sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough.

(5) I am combined by a facred vow,] I once thought this fhould be confined, but Shakespeare ufes combine for to bind by a pact or agreement, fo he calls Angelo the combinate hufband of Mariana.

(6) If the old, &c.] Sir Thomas Hammer reads, the odd fantaf tical Duke, but cld is a common word in ludicrous language, as, there was old revelling.

(7) Woodman,] That is, Huntfman, here taken for a bunter of girls.

Lucie.

Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child.

Duke. Did you fuch a thing?

Lucio. Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forfwear it; they would elfe have marry'd me to the rotten medlar.

Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honeft: reft you well.

Lucio. By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end. If bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of it. Nay, Friar, I am a kind of bur, I shall stick. [Exeunt.

Efcal. E

SCENE XII.

Changes to the Palace.

Enter Angelo and Efcalus.

VERY letter he hath writ, hath disvouch'd the other.

His

Ang. In moft uneven and distracted manner. actions fhew much like to madness, pray heav'n, his wifdom be not tainted. And why meet him at the gates, and deliver our authorities there?

Efcal. I guess not.

Ang. And why fhould we proclaim it in an hour before his entring, that if any crave redress of injustice, they thould exhibit their petitions in the street?

Efcal. He thews his reafon for that; to have a difpatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which fhall then have no power to stand against us.

Ang. Well; I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i' th' morn; I'll call you at your houfe: give notice to fuch men of fort and fuit, (8) as are to meet him.

Efcal. I fhall, Sir, fare you well.

Ang. Good night.

[Exit.

This deed unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant,
And dull to all proceedings. A defloured maid!

(8) fort und fuit,] Figure and rank.

and

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